Well-drilling machine.



No. 680,810. Patented Aug. 20, IQOI. S. J. REED.

WELL DRILLING MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 14, 1901.) (NoModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

N0. 680,8). Patented Aug. 20, I901.

S. J. REED.

WELL DRILLING-MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 4, 0 -1 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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SAMUEL J. REED, OF ONSET, ARKANSAS.

WELL DRILLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,810, dated August20, 1901. Application filed March 14, 1901. Serial No. 51 123. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL J. REED, a citizen of the United States,residing at Onset, in the county of Marion and State of Arkansas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Well-Drilling Machinesand I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a well-drilling machine.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, durable, andcomparatively inexpensive machine of this character, which will performits work in an efficient manner.

Vith this and other objects in View the invention consists in certainfeatures of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, whichwill be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved well-drilling machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the track,carriage, drill-stock, pitman, and cranlowheel. Fig. 3 is a front viewof the track. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the track,carriage, and drill-stockgripping mechanism. Fig. 5 is a rear view' ofthe carriage and the upper end of the pitman, to which it is pivoted.Fig. '6 is a front perspective view of one of the plates of which thecarriage is composed. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view on line :20d0 of Fig. 4. Fig. 8 is a perspective view, partly in section,illustrating the pawl-and-ratchet connection of the drill-stock with thehose-nipple; and Fig. 9 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View.

Referring to the drawings, 1 denotes the frame of the machine,comprising the sills 2 and ladder 3, and 4 denotes the driveshaft,provided with the winding-drum 5, to which is connected a lifting-cable6, which extends up over the pulley 7, secured at the upper end of theladder and provided with a hook S for elevating the drill-stock toremove the drillstock and the drill from the well. These parts may be ofany well-known or approved construction and of themselves form no partof my invention.

9 denotes the drill-stock, 10 the flexible hose, and 11 denotes thehose-nipple connecting the drill-stock with the hose.

12 denotes a track, which preferably, as shown, consists of an archedpiece 13, bolted to the sills 2 and provided with upright parallelpieces 14, which are made with a slight spiral twist and arestrengthened by being connected at their upper ends, as shown in Fig. 3.

15 denotes the carriage, which is adapted to reciprocate vertically uponsaid track and carries the stock gripping mechanism 16, which in theupward movement of the carriage grips the drill-stock and elevates it apredetermined distance and, owing to the spiral track, imparts to it aslight twisting or turning movement, and when the stock has reached apredetermined altitude the gripping mechanism is automatically releasedfrom the stock to permit it and its attached drill to fall with theircombined weight. The carriage preferably consists of two plates 15 and15 each of which has parallel ribs 15. These plates are put togetherwith the ribs abutting and bolts 15 inserted through said plates andribs to hold the plates spaced apart, so that they will freely slideupon the track. Each center rib is formed with recesses 15 in which isjournaled a fulcrum 15 of a lever 16, preferably angular. This lever hasat its lower end a beveled toe 16 ,which projects through a slot 16",formed in the lower end of the plate 15 said toe being normally held inits projected position by a spring 16. This lever, in connection withthe jaws 17 and 18, constitute the drill-stock-gripping mechanism. Thejaw 17 is secured to a yoke 19 by a setscrew 17 and the yoke is securedto the plate 15 of the carriage by bolts 19. The jaw 18 is provided withears 18, which are pivoted to the upper end of the lever 16. Theadjacent faces of these jaws correspond to the shape of the drill-stock.

2O denotes a crank-wheel fixed to the driveshaft 4:, and 21 a pitmanpivoted at its upper end to the upper end of the plate 15 of thecarriage in a position to contact with and depress the toe 16 to releasethe jaw 18 from the drill-stock when the carriage reaches apredetermined altitude.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

Assuming the drill-stock to be at its lowest point and the shaft 4: tobe rotating, the rotary movement of this shaft will through its pitmanconnection with the carriage elevate said carriage, and the jaw 18 beingforced against the drill-stock will in connection with the liftingmovement of the carriage clamp the drill-stock and cause it to moveupward with said carriage. When the carriage reaches a predeterminedaltitude and the pitman is moving from an inclined to a Verticalposition,it engages the beveledtoe 16 of the lever 16 and forces saidtoe inward, which movement withdraws the jaw 18 from the drillstock andpermits it with its attached drill to fall to its work. After the pitmanhas reached a vertical position it swings to the other side of avertical line, and to prevent it from releasing the toe 16 I widen saidpitman at the point 2i, or, in other words, provide it with a lug, sothat in the downward movement of the carriage the toe will be helddepressed, and thus prevent the jaw 18 from gripping the drill stock.When the carriage has reached its lowermost position and the pitman hasswung from the left to the right of the vertical line drawn centrallythrough its pivotal point of connection with the carriage, said pitmanmoves from its engagement with the toe 16 and allows the spring to forcesaid toe outward and the jaw 18 into engagement with the drill-stock,thus securely gripping the stock and causing it to move upwardly withthe carriage. In its upward movement the carriage is given a slighttwist, due to the spiral twist of the track, so that the drill carriedat the lower end of the stock will be given the proper twisting action.To prevent the drill from twisting in a reverse direction, which isoften the tendency when it strikes hard rock, I connect its stock 9 tothe nipple 11 by a pawl-and-ratchet device, as more clearly shown inFigs. 8 and 9, in which A denotes a short piece of pipe coupled to theupper end of the drill-stock and provided at its upper end with anannular collar B, having ratchet-teeth C in its upper edge. D representsa short piece of pipe coupled to the nipple 1i and provided with anannular collar E, below which are pivoted pawls F,which are forced totheir work by springs G, secured to the lower face of said collar E. Theshort pieces of pipe are connected together by a coupling H, whichconsists of a sleeve fastened to the collar E by set-screws I and havingan inwardly-projecting flange J, which projects under the collar B. Bythis construction and arrangement of parts the drillstock will bepermitted to rotate in one direction and be prevented from rotating inthe opposite direction.

From the foregoing description, taken in r connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of myimproved well-drilling machine will be readily understood withoutrequiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details ofconstruction may be made within the scope of the invention withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a well-drilling machine, the combination with avertically-reciprocatory carriage, a drive-shaft, a pitman pivotallyconnecting the drive-shaft to the carriage, a lever pivoted to thecarriage and having one end connected to an element of the grippingmechanism and having its other end projecting within the path ofmovement of the pitman to be engaged thereby and be depressed to releasethe gripping mechanism from the drillstock, substantially as set forth.

2. In a well-drilling machine, the combination with avertically-reciprocatory carriage, a drive-shaft, a pitman pivotallyconnecting the drive-shaft to the carriage, a lever pivoted to thecarriage and having one end connected to an element of the grippingmechanism, and having its other end projecting within the path ofmovement of the pitman to be engaged thereby and to be depressed torelease the gripping mechanism from the drillstock, said lever beingprovided with means for holding the end of the lever with which itcoacts in a depressed position until the carriage has moved to itslowest point of descent, and means for actuating the gripping mechanismto grip the drilling-stock simultaneously with the disengagement of thepitman from the end of said lever, substantially as set forth.

3. In a well-drilling machine, the combination withavertically-reciprocatory, spirallymovable carriage, a drive-shaft, apitman pivotally connecting the drive-shaft to the carriage, a leverpivoted to the carriage and having one end connected to an element ofthe gripping mechanism and having its other end projecting within thepath of movement of the pitman to be engaged thereby and be depressed torelease the gripping mechanism from the drill-stock, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL J. REED.

tVitnesses:

J. O. FLOYD, R. L. BERRY.

